


Then I met him: RE

by otaku_fujoshi



Category: Free!
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Cute, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Friends With Benefits, Jealousy, Light Angst, Love/Hate, M/M, Porn with Feelings, Sexual Tension, Slash, Teasing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Uke!Makoto, Unrequited Love, Wet Dream, seme!haru, uke!Rin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-10
Updated: 2017-05-24
Packaged: 2018-03-17 06:29:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3518885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/otaku_fujoshi/pseuds/otaku_fujoshi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Soul Mate: (n) A person with whom you have an immediate connection the moment you meet - a connection so strong that you are drawn to them in a way you have never experienced before. It's something Haruka never thought about and he was sure he never would. Until he met this one idiot. (Free! AU Seme!Haru Uke!Rin Unrequited!Makoharu FWB!Makoharu)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The meeting of a predator

Sticky skin twitched and ripples of sensation scratched down his back along with the oversensitive and slight pain of Makoto's legs clenching around his waist. His shuddering breaths ghosted over the other's forehead while his body surrendered to his baser needs, urging his pelvis further to his tight heat. The ball in the pit of his stomach was already winding up, sweat gently gliding down his skin and onto the warm body beneath him. The other's grunts echoed around the otherwise silent room and liquid heat emitted from them both... that was yesterday night.

The morning was greeted under his covers with a subtle but insistent warmth between his legs and a jellylike feeling afterwards that immediately made him want to take a bath.

A soft sigh from pale lips sent obtrusive bubbles racing to the surface of the cool liquid that encased his body. Most fluidly slithered to their destination, but some others refused, wanting to stay immersed in aqueous paradise for as long as possible, and the last few stragglers were evaporated by the water's ripple. The familiar warm and heavy sensation of his tired body as he pressed himself against the bottom of his bathtub was expected while he watched the orbs with eyes that matched his vibrant blue surroundings. He still felt the dregs of sleepiness weigh down on his eyelids that lazily drift, forever in a half-mast expression as the stagnant water blocked the path to hearing. This was to be expected since yesterday night went on far later than it should've and he was paying the price not and he never minded the peace he gained from the endless cacophonous noise acquainted with dry land.

He was all too amused staring at his plain white ceiling, seeing the light streaming from the sun dance beautifully upon the wrinkled surface of his bath water and felt his airways start to burn and constrict—a sad sign that he had to leave his peaceful place. Though it wasn't the same as being in a pool, it satisfied him enough to give him the patience to wait until after school for swim practice. Like just barely glazing over a monstrous itch he'd been trying to scratch for ten years, this bathtub's small but important duty was to keep him sane enough to not jump in the nearest body of water.

"...aru!" Ah there was his alarm clock again. The sound of his best friend's unclear words through the deafening silence of the water was usually the time he had to get out. He tended to be a killjoy in that respect. Although he couldn't exactly hear what he said, Haruka knew enough that he always said the same thing each time. So when he clumsily emerged from the bath, the water rushing and pouring from his ears and hair while he shook it off, he wasn't surprised to hear the same words coming to his front where the shirtless Makoto sat. "Mou, you were staying in the water past the time you can hold your breath again..."

The other's droopy green eyes stared worriedly at him, a chiding edge in the meaningful look that still managed to make him feel like a child when faced with it. He felt like an awkward plant blooming as his limbs stretched from their folded position and he had to readjust himself. The entire process was far more energy consuming than he would've liked but eventually he gained his ground with his legs barely squeezing between Makoto's open legs. Their knees clashed wetly and made the water slosh around while he tried not to sigh at the inconvenience. It was already filled to the brim from having two fairly large teenage boys coexist together in it's shallow depths, but because they were so big, the raven could hardly move without upsetting the balance.

He didn't want to be impatient because Makoto actually liked bathing together in the afterglow of the morning after but this time was the most important transition to get his day started. He knew it was just like cuddling basically but he hadn't imagined that this would be the aftermath to him getting sucked off this morning. It had been nice to wake up to that but it would've been nicer to have the bath to himself.

Quiet chuckling brought him from his internal musings and he saw Makoto slowly get out of his crouching position, groaning as he knelt nakedly in front of him, the uncomfortable positioning must've been bothering him too but it was even more likely Makoto had caught onto his thoughts somehow. The other could be ridiculously perceptive when it came to him, "Alright, alright. This bath really is a bit small for both of us. Next time why don't we just do this in my tub. It's big enough to even do the more... fun things."

Haruka recognized the inflection in his voice when the water sloshed around his hips due to Makoto's movement. He noticed Makoto always gained a lower register to his honeyed tone when he was horny or mentioning something dirty. He could also see by the way his eyes darkened that he wasn't just intending to do this later. It was always a good warning sign for Haruka who otherwise would never know what the green-haired teen was insinuating in a casual situation.

The raven lifted a hand out the water to fondle his ass, knowing that's what he wanted with this position. He was blase but gentle; that's how Makoto liked it. The larger teen grinned sunnily, pleased that Haruka could sense his signals even casually. Makoto loomed over him, his shadow covering him as he leaned closer to him and locked their lips. Haruka wasn't one for teasing, wanting to get to the point already, so he found himself already sliding his tongue between Makoto's soft lips Their slippery organs tangoed naturally as if they were trying to go back to their original mouths; it felt good like it always did even if he wasn't feeling quite up to making out so early. He had to admit, Makoto had good technique. A gust of warm wind accompanied Makoto's sigh and he let his weight fall into his lap, moaning quietly as his always dependable erection throbbed against his belly.

Well, the other hadn't been over for a sleepover in a few days he was probably pent up from the days spent in the company of his rambunctious siblings, his cock only wishing he had some time to get some relief at Haruka's house. Haruka lived alone so there was generally no worry that someone would hear them or if he were scarring children-unless their friends chose today to come in unannounced. That tinge of desperation in the motions of his tongue against his and the muffled moans when he began to jerk himself off told him his friend was all too grateful for today's sleepover, "Haru... mn..."

To tell the truth, Haruka didn't know exactly how or when this all started between them-he could bet Makoto didn't either-but it's been going on and off for over half a year now. So long, it had actually become a casual part of their relationship by now and absolutely normal to get each other off when they were alone. Makoto and he would have a sleep over, play some video games, watch movies, and then suddenly have sporadic sex, or some variety of those things. They didn't think too deeply about it and each time it happened they fell back into the same usual pattern of friendship again.

It made sense to him. They were both maturing boys after all and best friends; he's seen the larger boy when he got hard. He's even been casually next to him listening to music when Makoto got himself off. At this point, Haruka thought it probably was more efficient to occasionally get off with Makoto and sate their more primal desires than it was to date someone. There were no obligations, no arguing, or confusion: just friendship.

Aiding his friend for both time efficiency and just so he could finally have the bathtub to himself, Haruka sat up and leaned into the kiss. He spread the other's cheeks apart, pushing in two fingers and crooking them just the way he knew to, "Ah... H...Haru more..." he pressed harder against the little nub he knew would have Makoto cumming in a matter of minutes and Makoto in turn kissed him harder, moving his hips against his fingers.

The kneeling boy's hand moved quicker and he shuddered violently with sharp cry, alerting Haruka that he was cumming... in the tub. Immediately he broke the kiss and looked down at the ruined water that was now a soup of Makoto's release. Dammit, he wasn't dipping his head in that.

"Ahaha... sorry..." Makoto said sheepishly as his breath slowed and he got out the tub, holding his hand out knowingly to him. He stayed silent, ignoring the apology because he really just ruined the bathwater and lowered the quality of his morning just then. He sighed in the slight disappointment he always felt when he had to leave and stood, revealing his formfitting black and purple swimsuit that he nearly permanently had on. He tried his best not to get any of Makoto's spunk on him.

Dully blinking, he left Makoto—who whined at how coldly he treated him and how he'd make him more bath water later—to his own devices while he went to go cook as he had not yet had his serving of Mackerel and toast. He dressed lazily in the uniform that covered his average frame and left his raven hair messy although Makoto groomed himself more studiously. One of the worst things he realized about having Makoto spend the night with him was how he fussed over him dressing.

He often attempted to straighten his tie or tuck his shirt in but he batted him off, leaving his house with little excitement go to school. He munched on his Mackerel sandwich and drifted in and out of concentration from conversing with Makoto. They green-eyed teen often tended to talk about whatever caught his fancy but unlike Nagisa, he wouldn't attempt to try getting him to listen. He understood that oftentimes Haruka wasn't even next to him when he spoke and entertained himself when his blue eyes gained that faraway look. Drifting to the seaside, his eyes gained the familiar twinkle they always did when near a particularly large body of water. He sighed, wanting to swim again.

When Makoto's voice tore into his concentration—or rather daze—he heard, "Ah, and did you hear? Gou-chan's brother is coming to our school. Gou-chan said we might be able to meet him! Wouldn't that be nice?" Makoto blabbered on and Haruka couldn't help but think, 'Gou has a brother? I've never heard about him.' He polished off his breakfast and felt the familiar swipe of Makoto's gentle fingers getting the crumbs from the corners of his lip, as if he couldn't do it himself. But he knew a lot of the times it was just out of habit and nothing to do with him personally, so he entertained Makoto and his mother hen ways until they got to school and sat in their respective seats.

* * *

Nagisa sat atop the smooth desk in front of Rei-chan, engaging in his usual game of 'How Red can Rei-chan Get?' and right about now he was on level five redness if he was correct. Level five was usually when the purple haired boy began to sputter and move his hands about wildly. He was aiming for level six so the other's glasses could fog up, he always thought that was hilarious.

"O-Oh, Nagisa, H-Haruka-senpai and Makoto-senpai are here!" Rei-chan exclaimed probably a last ditch effort to get his attention off of him; luckily for him it worked because his OTP was outside. He quickly hopped off the desk and rushed to the window just in time to see Mako-chan kindly swipe a crumb from Haru-chan's lips like he does everyday. He couldn't count how many times he's seen this action done before; ever since they were little they've been like this. It was like they were an old married couple caught in day-to-day domestic love and Nagisa just found it so adorable!

He also knew that when they thought no one could see, they kissed tenderly and shared that look that could only be exchanged by a steady couple who's been together forever. Nagisa found himself sighing dreamily and squealing silently whenever he looked at them together. He'd just wait until they fessed up to the rest of the team of their relationship. They walked into class and naturally the blonde waved at them with the enthusiasm of a fanboy. He didn't know if they knew about it yet, his miniature obsession, but if they didn't he was sure they'd take his happiness as his born enthusiasm.

Ah, Mako-chan waved for them both! So cute! Just behind him, Rei's head landed on his desk with a thunk while he hurriedly tried to cool his face down.

The class filled out, everyone going to their assigned seats, and Haruka stared out the window… to the pool. It was warm out so they would be able to swim again. His eyes began to twinkle again and he was off in his own little world. Perhaps he would leave early today… he would be hopelessly not concentrated in this class anyway so what was the point in staying? The only thing he really looked forward to was swim practice.

As he gazed out the window, he heard something that made him start to come back to the world of the living… a voice… It was barely scraping at the edge of his consciousness but it bugged him in some way. He felt weirdly… curious. After all, it wasn't every day that Haruka was snapped from his daze and unable to go back. Expressionless, blue eyes turned to the front of the classroom where his eyes met a tall and muscular body that was clad in their uniform.

His jacket was tied at his waist, his tie was slightly undone and his shirt untucked but it didn't look bad on the other. His eyes traveled from his large school shoes up his long legs and torso to see the other's scowling face. His sharp red eyes glared predatorily around the room but the raven noted his brow didn't look too strained, as if this were a natural expression for him to have. Amakata-sensei—also known as the swimming club's sponsor—eagerly asked the intimidating teen who towered over her to introduce himself. He gave a sigh as if introducing himself was terrible trouble.

Then he spoke. "I'm Matsuoka Rin. I recently transferred from Australia. I have a girly name, but I'm a boy. Please take care of me." It was the same voice that broke him from his daze before. It was dull but deep and smooth… his mind itched a bit as he felt a stab of déjà vu in his mind. He barely frowned at the feeling especially when he caught a glimpse of that burgundy hair and fierce, red eyes… who did he remind him of? Almost immediately he heard a voice in the back of his mind say, 'It's Kou! Not Gou! Gou is a boyish name but I'm a girl!'

Ah… I see. So he's Gou's brother. Who would've thought that they would be in the same class… and judging by the name… "Okay Matsuoka-kun! You can go and sit next to Nanase-kun!" Amakata-sensei said, and he saw the other look around, irritation showing on his face that he couldn't find him. Haruka stared at him while he looked over him completely, his figure a bit tense since he obviously couldn't see Haruka raise his hand.

Even though that's what Haruka would usually do, he was a bit entertained by the other's expression. It had switched over so quickly from dull to irate that it was obvious that the other was a bit impatient. After a minute or two of staring and pretending he didn't hear Amakata-sensei calling for him to raise his hand, he finally raised his hand and red eyes glared at him, irritated. His eyebrow quirked a bit, having never seen that expression on someone's face when they saw him.

Matsuoka rushed to his seat and sat next to him, not exchanging a greeting of any kind throughout the entire class period. When lunch finally came, he left without a word and by the time Haruka came out of his daydream about swimming, the other had disappeared. Haruka mused that that possibly meant that the other didn't like him, he didn't think about it too much since it didn't really matter. It would save him the time of having to be pointlessly cordial regardless. Suddenly a huge body stepped in front of him, one he knew to be Makoto and the smaller bodies next to him were Rei and Nagisa, who asked him to lunch like usual. He silently nodded, having nothing better to do and the roof was the ideal place to view the pool so they went to meet up on the roof.

"Ne, ne, Haru-chan! Did you hear? Rin-chan is Gou-chan's sister! Although I wasn't paying much attention when she talked about it, I could immediately tell when he came in the classroom. They look just alike! But, wow! Australia?" Nagisa said in awe and Haruka was tempted to tell him not to add the suffix "chan" onto his name and make it even girlier than it already was but he knew the effort was fruitless seeing as the blonde would probably say something like, 'but Haru-chan is Haru-chan's name!' Meanwhile Makoto nodded and continued,

"Yeah I was a bit surprised about that too. Do you think he was serious?"

Rei jumped in as he took out his well-balanced lunch, that he no doubt made himself, and said, "I think he was serious. The way he looked kind of gave off the 'I'm not a kidder' type of effect," Rei remembered the other's face, remembered thinking how he was actually quite good-looking with his exotic red hair and crimson eyes. But the other had such a bad expression on his face, no one would want to approach him because of the atmosphere around him. The other was kind of mysterious when he thought about it, a mystery transfer student who came from Australia with an anti-social face.

But it contrasted with his opening of how he had a girly name despite being a boy... Rei shrugged off his curiosity only to look off to the side and jump in terror, his rice spilling onto his lap. A shadow suddenly loomed over them and they turned to see Matsuoka standing over them with a bored look on his face. Rei halfway didn't know if he'd heard them or not, but then why was he over here?

"A-Ah… Matsuoka-san, w-we—" Makoto tried but he was interrupted by Matsuoka as he asked,

"You know my sister?" That low voice strangely sounded a bit… strained. It was almost unnoticeable but Haruka heard in and it made Haruka look up to the other more directly. He also simultaneously witnessed everyone shit themselves because it was apparent Gou-san's brother had caught them in the act of gossiping. There was a short silence around the circle of the roof that was only broken by the sound of the wind and the awkward sweat dripping down the back of Rei's neck.

"Ah! Yes! She's our manager Rin-Rin!" Nagisa said excitedly, not able to read the mood-or if he was able to, he just didn't care. The redhead stared at the excitable blonde only momentarily before an imperceptible huff escaped from his lips. He turned away from them, apparently getting all he wanted from that conversation, but after a short pause of showing them his back, he turned back to Nagisa. A murderous glare was given to him, one that that the sunny boy definitely wasn't used to getting in response to his antics. Out the corner of his eye, he saw Rei stiffen and lean closer to the now pallor blonde. Makoto looked too scared to do anything against that snarl, grasping onto his pant leg.

"Don't say my name so casually, got it?" He warned coolly and walked away without a single look back. When he closed the door, everyone gave a collective sigh of relief that he was gone-well other than Haruka who went back to eating mackerel. Nagisa blew out a breath he'd been holding in since the redhead turned around and pouted.

"S-Scary... are they really siblings? Gou-chan is so much less…" Nagisa wanted to say he was less aggressive but as he said that, they all remembered the training from hell and the times she got on her period but still had to come to practice… Even Haruka shuddered at the memory of all the land drills they'd done while Gou ate ice cream,"N-No, they're definitely siblings…"

As they talked about Matsuoka, the raven male decided to tune things out and not listen. He turned to look at the pool as usual and blocked out the rest of the world. Yeah, most definitely he would be skipping the next few classes.

* * *

The raven hurriedly stripped, unbuttoning his shirt and undoing his pants to reveal his swimsuit before running to jump in. A certain green-haired teen stared at the graceful swimmer as he relaxed in what seemed to be his natural environment. A smile swept across Makoto's face and he chuckled. He knew Haru wouldn't be able to stay away from the pool for much longer. It was Haru after all. The teen practically couldn't live without water.

Makoto watched for a while as he twisted and turned through the water, his flexible limbs looking as natural as a sea creature's. He looked almost like he was dancing in the pool, his black hair swishing with the will of the liquid and that utterly calm look on his face that made him look simply majestic. Though it was distorted from where he stood, he knew what kind of expression would be on his face. He could practically hear the sigh of relief in the other's thoughts screaming, 'Finally. Water.' Laughing again, he left the pale boy to his devices, collecting his clothes and turning into the locker room. He wanted to hurry and swim with him already, watching him wasn't enough.

He hurriedly pulled his own swimsuit on his muscular body and showered before getting his and Haru's goggles and swim caps. This was a normal occurrence for him. He helped the other out with nearly everything he did. He worried about him and he smiled when he was finally smiling. Well, as much as Haru would smile. Though, his vivid blue eyes, twinkling as they studied the waves were enough for him and brought a grin to his own face. He couldn't help being enraptured with the other teen. He was utterly captivating. The past six months of what he could only describe as the best decision he'd ever made had only reinforced this fact to him. His mother hen tendencies have probably increased ten-fold because he just knew it came second nature to him by now and he'd always treasure Haru's smile and his happiness over his own. No, just seeing it would be enough to make him happy.

As embarrassingly obvious as it was, Makoto was indeed in love with Haru. He was in crazy, sappy, I-want-to-be-with-you-forever love with him and had been for years now. If one were to ask him when he fell for the other, he wouldn't be able to say the exact time but it was probably between the points in time that he joined the swim team in elementary school and the time he'd been comforted by him in the face of the ocean. It was growing by the day, especially since he'd started this... thing with him. Haru's hands touching him, roaming his body so lovingly... he sighed as he blushed at the memory of his morning and the night before. It was like a dream come true to be with him like this.

He knew he was safe to confess seeing as the other could really be dense. In fact he remembered just a few weeks ago with perfect clarity… his words. After what he thought was an incredibly intense round of sex before regionals, he'd told him thank you for being there for him. And though he wanted to soak up all the pride and ecstasy just from hearing the other's appreciation, the other just as quickly had mentioned Nagisa and Rei. He couldn't get too disappointed even if he felt himself deflate a litle. They were a team after all and Haru was as dense as ever. But to Makoto, that only made him cuter. That innocence. Makoto would never dream of taking advantage of it.

He watched the aquatic teen surface finally and held his hand out as he always did, ready to pull the other out. He'd never relinquish his spot to anyone else. "Good job Haru! You were graceful as always!" He laughed at the other's blank expression while he took Makoto's hand and was pulled from the water. He watched the other shake his hair dry, Makoto felt himself staring at the other's effortless beauty as always. He always thought the other's beauty was mysterious. He was so slender, yet he was muscled in all the right places, he spent all of his time swimming, yet he was as pale as the moon… though he had no expression on his face, Makoto blushed if he admired too long. He also tended to get an erection. He was truly amazing.

"I don't need you to tell me I did a good job." Ah, and that coolness in the face of compliments was always adorable to Makoto as well. He only grinned in response and watched the other as his attention was suddenly taken somewhere other than the pool. Frowning a bit, as he thought something weird must be going on behind his back to get Haru's mind off of water, he turned around to see Matsuoka Rin leaning on the gate with a scowl. He didn't understand why the other seemed to always be scowling but didn't dwell on it further as it really wasn't his issue whether he was grumpy or not.

"Where's Gou?" his calm voice said in an uncaring manner. Haru ignored the other and he saw Matsuoka stiffen a little before rolling his eyes. He chuckled a little. Haru wasn't the most social guy ever, it always took others off guard when he just turned away from them, not wanting to make an effort to answer their question.

"Ah, Gou-chan just went to go do so—"

"Onii-chan! You're here! Ah! Makoto-kun, its Kou! Not Gou!" She said in an upset manner, coming out of the locker room where she was working on some kind of regimen. Matsuoka blinked in a bored way, raising an eyebrow at her indignant face.

"You're still on that, Gou?" He asked before shaking his head, "Whatever, I came like you asked me to. But, I've already met these guys before so do I still have too—"

"You've met them before? Mou, Onii-chan you weren't mean were you?" Matsuoka rolled his eyes at the indirect accusation, crossing his arms across his chest defensively. Gou didn't relinquish her stare while she folded her own arms in a show of determination. She watched her onii-chan's gaze waver, and instantly knew he'd been mean, but the other went to such lengths to look away from Gou she almost felt bad for seeing him lie. He pursed his lips before mumbling in a strained voice,

"Absolutely… not…" Rei and Nagisa came out of the locker rooms when they heard the terrible lie and they both laughed, Nagisa more loudly and boisterously than Rei. Just who did he think he was going to fool with such an obvious lie? However, it was obvious still that he told the lie to keep Gou-kun from worrying over their interaction. Nagisa's view of him being so scary earlier was quickly diminishing beneath the fact that he couldn't lie to his baby sister to save his life. Meanwhile Gou, just sweat a bit in embarrassment for her Onii-chan. He always had been bad at lying to her. He'd normally ignore her before lying. More importantly, Gou saw her brother flinch and glare fiercely at the others who quieted down, but weren't as scared as when it first happened.

"Ah… Onii-chan, i-it's okay. I'm s-sure they knew you didn't mean a-any harm…" Gou defended her brother before he got angry and she had to deal with his sulking later. "Ah! But, I wanted to introduce you myself! Please…" She asked in a puppyish way that made Matsuoka flinch, his eye twitching. The blonde began to see exactly who was the scary one in this relationship when he saw the elder Matsuoka's eyes reluctantly soften towards his sister and his folded arms dropped in defeat.

"Ah, whatever. Go ahead," A new round of laughter rang from his lips because, wow, this guy literally was under his sister's thumb. As one who also had sisters he felt protective of, he thought he was seeing a new light of this bad boy Matsuoka. After all, to him, if you're a good brother you just couldn't be all bad.

"Rin-chan, you sure are funny! Ha-ha! I thought you were so scary at first but, ha-ha, you totally crumbled under your sister!" Nagisa fell to the ground laughing as he made fun of Matsuoka more who did not look pleased.

Haruka had been glancing at the redhead the entire time. He turned his head the first time he asked where Gou was out of curiosity mostly. The other was a bit strange to him… he didn't really get him. One can understand a person by watching them with unbiased eyes and seeing all the facts. It wasn't something he utilized on everyone since he didn't care to get to know most people but his friends are people he could basically predict. He was almost never shocked by what they did anymore unless it was out of character.

Makoto was a caring, family and friend loving type who has a tendency to care for the defenseless. Nagisa was childlike, stubborn, and blunt but also had a sadistic streak that he often showed when he messed with Rei. Rei was a serious type but also hadn't had many friends before due to his strange and analytical nature so when he was embraced by all of them he wanted to become a part of their team and treasured those bonds more than anything else. And Gou was a person who was nosy, easily flustered, and boyish though she didn't want to admit it and she obviously cared for her brother.

But Matsuoka… Matsuoka was a strange one and this was coming from him, who nearly no one could understand. He wasn't as easy to understand because he kept being so inconsistent. Was he a kind brother who cared for his sister or was he an antisocial brat? The question lingered in Haruka's mind but he didn't necessarily attempt to answer it. He'd long ago accepted that people were as flaky as sand and tended not to make any sense, their patterns and behavior were not something he should waste his time on. People constantly put up pretenses and masks so thick that you couldn't possibly see who they really were.

That's why he gravitated towards water. It was transparent and if you accepted it, you remained on good terms. There was no stepping on eggshells with water. No running into water when they were having a bad day and getting bit in the ass. If water was angry, you could clearly see by how she raged on the shores in a warning sign not to play. To him, water was the ideal person and something you could take at face value.

Seeing Matsuoka's strange behavior put him off and he instantly wrote him off as someone who took far too much effort to "figure out". High maintenance wasn't to his liking. He sighed while Gou introduced her brother for the second time, but stayed on land simply for the fact that Gou would never let him leave without an actual excuse. His gaze took to the water longingly for a moment but when he glanced up suddenly, something caught his eye. Matsuoka wasn't staring at anyone. This could easily be taken as him not paying attention but and he didn't look bored. His eyes were flickering with rapt interest. He was staring at the pool.

He didn't look like him when he admired water yet he didn't look casual with his stare either. He looked strange. However, before he could discern Matsuoka's look, he turned and left, telling Gou that he would pick her up later. Unknowingly, he screwed Haruka over royally.


	2. I Don't Understand Him...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLLOOO ALL! So as you can see there's another update this week! Yay for timeliness! I've been feeling pretty inspired lately and I'm going to try getting through as much of this as possible while I'm feeling in shape. I enjoyed editing this chapter-I think it reads sooooo much better now-and recently I've gotten my first hate mail! Now, I know that sounds bad but I think this is a necessary evil. When there are clearly hateful comments, you know you've improved because now others feel the need to tell you how horrid you are nonsensically. :) So, enjoyyyy!

The reason Haruka firmly believed he shouldn't think about things he didn't—nor desire to—understand was because of two things: it's stupid, and it left him virtually unproductive for the rest of the day. Haruka wasn't a person who enjoyed halfway thinking through things because then there were gaps in his interpretation. He felt as if it were a waste of time to only think through something if he was going to be half-baked about it. If he didn't eventually understand the truth, it was just too much effort. Everything got tangled and muddy and he couldn't see clearly behind his unwanted prejudice and the values he was placing on others.

Most people judge things by how they would do them, disregarding the fact that no one thought the same way. Even if there were someone out there with the same morals and personality type as you, those subtle discrepancies in between would be the thing that makes them different from you. Eventually there would be a question you both would answer differently, so it was utterly pointless to judge by that.

Another way was to "put yourself in their shoes" as they say; imagine their thought process and why they choose to do what they do. But there was also a problem with that method. You are not them. You haven't experienced all the same things they have and lived their life knowing every nuance of their thoughts—nor would you want to he would think. Therefore it's an idiotic effort border-lining on vanity to think that you, a complete stranger, could know how someone else thought.

In reality there was no real way to judge others, only a faint outline of guesswork following logistics that don't even solve the entire problem. Because in the real world, there are no set in stone patterns that one could follow. There are no consistencies no matter how hard one tries to find one. You will only understand someone as far as they let you and even then, you probably won't find the entire thing.

This is why Haruka loved water. It was transparent.

Yet somehow, the raven found himself mulling and mulling over pointless things that would get him no where. He knew he was literally thinking himself in circles but he just couldn't help it. He wasn't doing it on purpose, not really.

A week had passed and ever since that day: the day Haruka caught Matsuoka's faraway gaze directed at the pool. At first he'd decided to dismiss it, knowing that Matsuoka was as flaky as a freshly fried mackerel, and he had. He really had.

Not one thought or inquisition of Matsuoka had penetrated his mind and he continued on his daily business without a care. He'd cook Mackerel for breakfast and go to school like normal, daydream about swimming, and swim. If Makoto was feeling courageous that day, he'd find himself against a wall in the far corner of the locker room with their lips sealed, making the brunette whimper with the way he knew just what buttons to push. Usually following that was intense sex on the hardwood floor of his living room because once once Makoto got going, it was hard to stop him.

Haruka didn't mind it because that meant he'd satisfied him for the day and he didn't have to worry about just when Makoto would want to do it. While the green-eyed boy tended to be considerate, when he wanted sex he usually got it. But that was fine, really. That was normal.

It wasn't normal when he was in his bathtub, staring at the rippling tides he created, and thought about how that redhead was staring at the pool. When he began to wonder just what was behind that stare. And it... it just snuck up on him, it always happened like that. He didn't want to think about Gou's brother when he was taking a bath and getting his therapy.

He didn't want to be on the roof in the afternoon when Nagisa attempted to coax Matsuoka into sitting with them like some sort of cantankerous pet, finding his eyes wandering to his grumpy face. After a while Haruka even began to feel an odd satisfaction in how predictable the other's behavior was. It was quite frankly embarrassing how often the other teen was wandering into his thoughts like a lost child.

Even more than that, Haruka began to think that he'd figured Matsuoka out. As if he cracked some complex puzzle, he somehow thought that he solved the enigma that was Matsuoka Rin. He compiled evidence to hoard to himself. Such as Matsuoka being the type that just didn't want to deal with anyone. The fact that always ate alone, he yelled at anyone who got near him, and he ignored those that talked of him were not beyond him. He reasoned that even though he only ever paid attention to Gou, that was because he was her brother. The mystery was put together.

When he got into the habit of thinking that he'd involuntarily solved him, he cheered because the incapacitating thoughts of him lessened. Haruka grew bored of him like a game he won too many times and his life began to revert back to how it used to be. It was as if Matsuoka was sending the message that he was just a jerk and if he did anything out of the ordinary, it was best not to put too much thought into it. He was grateful for this message because that meant he could finally stop thinking about it after an entire week of struggling with himself over the issue.

But once more, once you thought you figured out someone or something completely, that was when you began seeing holes in your logic. The big, gaping hole for him was that the only thing off about his examination was Matsuoka's look whenever he got to the pool.

Once he figured out that look, he wouldn't be curious anymore and could go back to ignoring him, leading his simple and uncomplicated life. He wouldn't look back.

So he stared at him, overwhelmingly so. Day by day his blue eyes scanned over that face of his, taking note of the smallest twitches because his shame had all but depleted. But he could never figure out that unfathomable look. It was something he hadn't seen before when someone looked at water. Then the other always rushed off with Gou right when he thought he might've seen something similar.

It gave him a headache and instead of being simply casually curious, he was now beginning to dislike the other for bothering his mental thoughts. He'd become insufferable, not even able swim without wondering why the hell Matsuoka would stare at water like that. He was sure the water didn't like him either for that stare that he now was taking for distaste if anything. All he wanted to do was to be able to live with his idle thoughts of blue. Why did he have to be plagued with spiraling thoughts of red?

Unknown to Haruka there was someone else with the same disease, unable to keep his mind off someone. Although he was someone with much more experience at having his green eyes eternally tainted with blue. It wasn't on purpose, similarly to Haruka, but then again it was never on purpose was it? Who would voluntarily give over their entire attention and invest in another? However, what's done was done and Makoto for as long as he could remember had always been looking at Haru.

So of coursed he noticed those looks he gave to Matsuoka.

Makoto raised an eyebrow the first time he caught the other staring at the redhead. After all, Haru always looked to the pool during class but today he was facing the opposite direction from his scenic view. He chose to say nothing to him, Haru wasn't the type to be honest when it came to other people. Haru might not even know himself why he was looking at someone. So he watched with his own eyes; those attentive, blue eyes narrowed in an unfamiliar way that he hadn't seen before.

Did Haru not like Matsuoka? But, Makoto knew that he always ignored people he didn't like to death, preferring to savor his energy for as long as possible. So why was he just staring at him with that analyzing look? Sometimes he didn't know if Haru was aware of just how much he stared at the redhead.

He would be sitting in class and would turn to do his daily quota of staring in his crush's direction from across the classroom only to see him glancing at Matsuoka every once and a while as the other took notes. His blue eyes gazed with rapt interest and they flickered to and from Matsuoka throughout the day.

Makoto could only endlessly wonder why the hell Matsuoka had Haru's attention since both of them weren't the most social people in the world. Or when Nagisa attempted to drag the other over, Haru would already be looking in his direction. To be honest it pissed him off. He was usually gentle and kind as was his nature but he always had been quite possessive of the things he liked and Haru was included in that. He didn't like his attention, which was never given to anything but a non-threatening, inanimate object, going toward another man.

That was another drawback to giving his heart away to another, the endless, raging insecurity he buried within. It was like he became an entirely different person when Haru was involved. It was like a sharp pang in his chest that made him feel as if he'd been dumped in a sticky vat of ink, clinging to him even after he showered himself with rationality and reassurances. The grime stuck under his nails that were tempted to scratch down Haru's back, painting him with marks of ownership.

Only, he knew he'd never do that. He didn't want to taint Haru with his insecurities and he didn't want to tie the other down, because he knew the raven would hate that. The thing he valued most was freedom and acceptance. Makoto would never dream of taking that away from him even when the other hovered over him, deep inside, and the swelling feelings of love intertwined with insatiable lust threatened to spill. He would never say those words that he knew would take away the sparkling in those azure orbs. What he desired most was Haru's happiness and that's why even though he hated the idea of someone one day sweeping Haru away, he hated the notion that Haru might come to hate him more.

The brunette was very mature and level-headed for his age, always eventually adopting the role of "mother" or the voice-of-reason within his group. Out of everyone, he was expected to be the most tolerant but even mothers had times where they became irritated and for him that came with the male Matsuoka and his tendency to lash out towards anyone in a ten foot radius of him.

When Nagisa tried to integrate him into the group, he snarled viciously at him like a wild animal and when Gou tried to get him to join the conversation, he just ignored her and walked away, saying he'd pick her up later. Makoto couldn't ignore the other was an utter brute who disrespected people left and right. He knew if he had been even the slightest bit more immature, he and Matsuoka would've exchanged words a while ago. But, he knew he would never do that, at least as things were now.

Makoto was tolerant of others for a reason and that's because he knew he could never know just why another was doing what most deemed as annoying. Matsuoka seemed like he just didn't want to be bothered and yet he gave off the impression of a wounded animal most times. He didn't seem satisfied being by himself and Makoto knew that despite his jealousy and his brutish ways, his green eyes couldn't look the other way when he spotted that lonesome look in the other's eye.

A deep sigh escaped his chest as he slid on the last leg of his jammers and he sagged like somewhere in between the first and second leg he lost the will to go on. He immediately felt Rei's look of concern as Makoto was not one to complain. If there was ever a job given to someone, usually the person they'd give the job to was him. Modestly hardworking was something he couldn't go a year without seeing on his reports from teachers and the local mothers would often scold their children to be more like him. In the least conceited way, he couldn't say they were wrong. He was like this to a fault and this is the main reason why he felt it just wasn't right to complain about things.

Even if he was weak-hearted and afraid of ghosts, he tended to find fault in any of his complaints he felt to be unreasonable. He knew that complaining didn't do too much. That's why it was probably a shock to Rei—in fact it was probably the first time he'd heard him sigh before.

He saw in the corner of his eyes that the other fixed his prescription goggles to his face and turned to him. His face was a mixture of worry and the slight dignified stoniness the other must've thought looked reliable, "Makoto-senpai, is something wrong?"

Makoto finished pulling up his legskins, not wishing to embarrass himself much further than this. As he turned he immediately smiled the soft, indulgent smile he gave to his siblings when they did something in an attempt to be helpful to him. It was a patented look that often got him out of saying many things he didn't want to, "Don't worry Rei, I'm fine. I was just thinking about something Haru did a while ago, but everything's fine. Thank you for worrying."

He didn't technically lie. He just omitted what Haru actually did that made him sigh. And 'a while' could mean any numerous measures of time: days, months... just an hour ago... But really, there wasn't even anything wrong. Although Haru was acting peculiar, that didn't mean Haru was sad. As long as he wasn't sad, there wasn't anything wrong—no matter how confusing.

He could see Rei spinning the ambiguous information around in his head like some sort of taste test, but the other quickly decided that Makoto must've been telling the truth. After all, it wasn't like Makoto to lie about such frivolous things. The brunette laughed reassuringly and they walked to the poolside.

He would push aside his questioning for just why Haru would solely focus on Matsuoka for a later time. There was nothing wrong.

This sentence stood on it's own to state his new resolution to act as if everything was normal. He said it once, then twice for solidity. It was only when, in the corner of his eye, he caught wispy tendrils of red that the message became a mantra. Green eyes immediately began to seek swirls of black underneath the pool's waves or cool, blue eyes shrouded by heavily dripping lashes.

_There's nothing wrong._  He was insistent to himself even as his search became more frantic,  _There's nothing wrong and yet I'm doing this because? Well, to be fair I always am trying to find Haru, or to be correct, Haru is always in my line of sight. It would be strange not to see him, right?_

His prophetic thoughts were accurate enough to seemingly guide him to the back of Haru's head. He became relieved because Haru wasn't looking at the approaching redhead yet... but wasn't it a bit strange? Haru was near the edge of his lane, simply floating when Makoto knew the other just couldn't  _not_  move in water. And yet, he... wasn't... swimming...

Makoto feels an aggressive twist in his chest when he realizes that indeed, Haru knew that the other was there and was doing a terrible job at hiding it. The frustration he felt over something so small was laughable and the mantra in his head increased in volume but had become much more insecure than the first time around. But then there was a miracle. Haru started swimming again.

He refrained from exhaling heavily as Rei was still nearby, and worse, Nagisa had come from his warm-up stretches. While he escaped inquiry from Rei, Nagisa was an entire universe more stubborn than Rei. The green-eyed teen almost felt like he'd been taking shallow breaths all this time and he was taking his first deep breath.

He could see the obvious tension in the other's strokes as Matsuoka neared and eventually Haru sank to the bottom of the pool in his awkwardly cute way of hiding. But at least he wasn't paying attention to him... or he was trying not to. He thought that might be the lesser of two evils. He looked toward the redhead as he began to retreat to wherever he hid before Gou limped in slightly, catching his eye. Though before he could get a word of usual concern out, Matsuoka's usually silent lips parted and he had a foreign face on his typically indifferent face that caught him slightly off guard.

Haruka emerged from the self-created waves and shook his hair dry from the chlorinated water. When his eyes opened, he caught the sight of Matsuoka's face that stared at Gou while she attempted to walk in the pool area and his lips twitched downward. That was an unfamiliar face he was making. In the entire week he'd been silently paying attention to him, he hadn't once seen that kind of face come from the crimson-eyed boy. It wasn't angry or bored like the two emotions that are ever on his face, but a common face he'd seen before. One of concern.

When it was on Matsuoka's face though, he found that it made him look strange. It made his tense face look unnatural almost and his eyes softened toward his sister, his body turning back towards the smaller redhead. "Gou, what's the matter? Are you hurt?" Haruka blinked at the other's softer voice when addressing his sister. So he really was worried about her? Haruka didn't understand. Matsuoka didn't really seem to be the worrying type… so what was this uncharacteristic behavior he was displaying carelessly? He narrowed gaze and watched their interaction with interested eyes.

"Ah, Onii-chan. It's nothing really. I just stretched a little too far during practice in gym." Matsuoka stared at her a bit longer as if debating to himself about something until suddenly turned completely around. He walked over to the poolside, sat down on the ground to lie on his back and closed his eyes. It was all so smooth and natural It was difficult to find fault in what he was doing. But, they all knew what he was doing and it made Haruka's teeth grind in his mouth worriedly.

Gou's eyes widened and she blushed a bit at her brother's obvious attempt at subtle concern. "Onii-chan! You don't have to—"

"I'm staying because I don't feel like wandering today," the older redhead cut her off, unaffected as he squirmed for a comfortable position on the cement, "Since your precious Onii-chan comes to pick you up every day, I should at least get to sleep where I want." He stilled, seeming to find the best position and placed his arms behind his head for a cushion. Haruka could see his breath starting to slow and a peaceful expression took over his face like Haruka had never seen.

What the hell? He completely ignored Gou's protests just like the Matsuoka he was used to... but this time he wasn't doing it out of spite, but rather from worry. It was strange to Haruka and no matter how he looked at it, this just doesn't fit with his presented image. The image of the light tendrils of his hair flowing so softly while he was still shouldn't be burning into his retinas like this.

"You did that yourself! You really don't have to..." Gou paused, staring at her brother and he just left his eyes closed, his face relaxing while silence soaked the air. Gou frowned and huffed, "Mou, he actually fell asleep..." Shaking her head, she limped over to where she usually sat and yelled at everyone to get moving. But, Haruka stared at the larger redhead for a moment longer. He kinda looked much less annoying when he was asleep... Haruka cursed himself and sank into the blue depths surrounding him. He was getting interested again and just after he swore his attention off to swimming.

Practice went normal with the exception of Matsuoka sleeping on the poolside, curled into a more comfortable position with that same serene look that disturbed Haruka to the point where he couldn't divert his attention from the sleeping male. Watching him sleep felt strangely... nostalgic. It felt unfamiliar to him to the point where he wanted to toss water on him in a seldom, immature act just to wake him or make him act as aggressive as he usually did. Matsuoka slept through practice, his calm breath making his relaxing swim practice strange and foreign, annoying him more.

As they were cleaning up from practice, Matsuoka finally roused from his seat, rubbing his eyes and yawning softly. Haruka forcefully tore his eyes away when the other, trying not to dwell on the irritating itch he felt in his brain. Instead Gou gathered them all in a group under the guise of conversing with them about their training regime. How he knew it was a guise was because they had just talked about training regimes yesterday. Everyone who knew this raised an eyebrow yet went over to her anyway, thinking that whatever it was, she didn't want her brother to know.

"Alright guys, I have a favor to ask of you," Gou said in a serious manner. Haruka looked at the other teens who looked at her with a mixture of suspicion and nervousness at the gravity of her voice, "You know this 'pain' I have in my leg? I lied. I didn't even go to gym class. So, I'm going to trick Onii-chan because this morning he woke me up by pouring water all over me and almost making me late because I had to dry off and do my hair." She pouted though Haruka truly couldn't comprehend why she would be troubled by waking up to water. It seemed like an ideal situation to him.

"So... what are we doing?" Makoto asked with a raised eyebrow, uncharacteristically interested in participating in someone's deceit even though he had a tinge of wariness in his eyes, Haruka would've thought he would be the one to be against tricking her brother. Nagisa, however, had nothing short of a sadistic smile on his face. He loved pranks, often pulling them on his boyfriend or Gou. There was no doubt he'd find enjoyment in something like this and his participation was a given. Haruka didn't really care either way. It was just a joke.

It seemed that Rei was the only one who appeared a bit dubious about the entire thing. The raven didn't find that strange because on the contrary to his blonde counterpart, he disliked pranks and considered them to be in bad taste. He only dealt with it most times because he was completely whipped for his boyfriend. But today, his brow furrowed while he pushed his glasses up his nose, the glare shining off of the frames.

"Are you sure Kou-san? Matsuoka-senpai looks already a bit distressed for your well-being," He pointed out with an unsure countenance but Gou looked back toward her brother and shrugged with a devilish smile of her own. Rei felt cold sweat drip down his temple, realizing that the other was pretty dead set on this. He could only hope that the explosive brother of hers wouldn't overreact to something like this.

"It never hurts to make my 'oh-so cool' brother worried about things. It keeps him in line," She said, reassuring everyone. Everyone nodded in the end and she commenced to tell them the plan. "Well, Onii-chan hasn't seen me in years and back before he left, I couldn't swim. So I'll pretend to drown, he'll save me, and I'll tell him it was a joke." She giggled happily, her laughing voice making the plan seem so simple and sweet—like she was throwing him a surprise party instead of faking her own drowning. Haruka had forgotten that sometimes, Gou could be quite manipulative if the situation called for it. "You guys just need to keep quiet, alright?"

Everyone nodded and they broke away and went back to what they did normally when they cleaned up. Nagisa fooled around with Rei as they put away their towels and collected stray training toys they used. Makoto continued to analyze the times and mark down any small discrepancies between this practice and last practice. He was even swimming beneath the buoys to find fallen swim caps and goggles. He was happy he wasn't doing anything above ground because honestly, they all sucked at acting. He could almost imagine the over-exaggerated way Nagisa was hopping around Rei and how stiffly both Makoto and Rei would move trying to seem casual.

He considered it lucky that the elder Matsuoka seemed too preoccupied with Gou's well-being to pay attention to how they were acting. Makoto helped him out the pool and he purposely left a conveniently placed flotation device in the water. Gou continued with the plan as the other Matsuoka staring from his position on the floor.

Gou limped to the poolside and reached for a She reached, extending her body over the edge, and Haruka took a glance at the redhead who he saw looking a bit more alert. His shoulders were a bit tense as of ready for attack and he called out, "Gou... stop that, that's dangerous..."

He tried to sound commanding but instead he sounded almost meek, getting nervous while his sister perilously teetered on the edge of the pool. She laughed off her brother's worry, happy her plan was going as scheduled. Waving her hand, she said, "It'll be fine Onii-chan, don't worry about—wah!" She leaned purposely a bit too far and Haruka watched the other's eyes widen in clear alarm, his body so tense it was like a wound wire. The color drained from the other's face when he heard the splash. Was that... a normal reaction?

Haruka knew that Matsuoka would certainly be afraid for his sister when she fell in but the other looked wide-eyed in shock as if he'd just seen his sister shot dead. He's seen that expression before... something just like that. Those trembling eyes that seemed horrified at the way the pool swallowed his sister whole sent a shock through his chest. This was nothing like Matsuoka.

Suddenly the redhead was on his feet and racing toward the pool, the unathletic boy's frame looking natural but urgent as he ran frantically toward the pool. His voice called out Gou's name in desperation as he edged to the pool. He didn't do the thing in movies where the star took his jacket and shoes off as he approached the pool, no he ran with all of his strength. He rapidly approached the pool and looked unable to stop; Haruka wondered... could he even swim?

Even though he knew Matsuoka wouldn't stop, somehow he was genuinely surprised and the world seemed to quiet. He heard Rei call out to Matsuoka in stuttered, confused phrases because he was unsure of how to calm the situation. Nagisa's behavior changed drastically as he began to sense there was something off about the situation, causing a hesitant murmur to escape him at the last minute. He didn't hear anything from Makoto. Even so, all that noise faded into the background like someone clapped their hands over his ears.

Silence struck his ears and his eyes widened, showing his surprise when the other coiled his body up almost unconsciously and kicked off the concrete and dove into the water with a powerful launch. It was almost animalistic, the way he jumped with no hesitation. There was no spring board, yet his kick-off was fantastic... his arch was nearly perfect and his arms were position almost flawlessly before he cleanly splashed into the surface of the pool. His form was awing.

Haruka's eyes couldn't stray from the redhead as he immediately tore through the water like a predator attacking his prey and he could only think...  _so fast_. It was riveting, his stroke. Haruka's heart throbbed in his chest at the large and powerful strokes that dragged him violently through the water. He swam faster than anyone he's ever seen before and though he was warlike, almost destructive, he wasn't... clumsy with his strokes. There was something so passionate, so desperate about it... Haruka found it beautiful.

His breath caught in his throat and he could not bring himself to look away when he quickly "rescued" Gou from the water's depths, bringing her to the concrete and pulling himself out to stare at his sister in what Haruka could only describe as raw fear. He hovered over her, his face a pale white, his body completely soaked, his eyes wide and his pupils dilated. His fear was genuine… Haruka had never seen anything as unguarded as that before. Haruka felt almost like he was seeing him for the first time. He looked unrecognizable.

"Gou, Gou are you okay? P-Please Gou..." He leaned in to listen to her breathing and Haruka could see just then that his hands were trembling so harshly when he gripped her shoulders, "Gou? Please no..." Matsuoka's voice quivered weakly like a scared child's and those chilling red eyes of his melted into a glassy crimson, blurred by tears. Wait what? Tears? No, no, even if this entire day had been so strange, Matsuoka was definitely not the type to cry in front of them like this. Was he even capable of looking like this?

Everyone hovered around the two, not wanting to get too close. They all felt the uncomfortable feeling of having intruded on something they shouldn't have. They knew it was completely artificial, a joke, a harmless prank but even so. They also were quite aware Matsuoka thought this was real. None of them wanted to be the one to play the bad guy and explain what they'd done.

Luckily for them, Gou, not wanting to tease her brother for long, smiled and opened her eyes. Laughter immediately burst from her as she saw the stringy hair haphazardly splayed around his face and through the fuzzy outline she could see, she could tell they were both soaked to the bone. She wished she could see his face clearly but she had a combination of swimmer's ear and chlorine stinging the whites of her eyes. Her Onii-chan would feel so embarrassed about this since she knew he took just about as long as she did in an effort to do his hair correctly. This would show him.

"Onii-chan, you should've seen your face! Ha-ha! You look like a wet cat!" She wiped her eyes clear of the liquid over her lids and slapped the side of her head in a futile effort to get the pool water out. Unknown to her, just about everyone around them was in mid-cringe, dread pooling in their stomachs, "It's all in good fun, new Onii-cha—" Gou was suddenly cut off when a new drop of moisture fell on her cheek.

Her brow furrowed and she almost thought it to be the pool water sliding off his cheek onto hers... but it was warm. So warm it almost burned her skin. Her eyes opened slowly again and she her first sight was her brother's agonized, red eyes that overflowed with anxiety and fear. His lips quivered and his brow furrowed worriedly. Her eyes widened and she felt another tear drop on her forehead… She's seen him cry before, but never like this. No matter how she and her mom cried, or if she made him mad, or hurt him... he's never looked like this before.

The first thing she could feel was the immense confusion surrounding his tears. It was a mystery to her why he cried like this, not knowing the true repercussions of her actions. She didn't know why he wasn't laughing? It was just... a joke. It occured to her only then that perhaps her brother really had changed, she felt like she was looking at a stranger.

When he heard it was a joke, he did not take it well. His once deadly concerned eyes didn't dry up, but worse. They hardened. They froze and faded from the passionate red that she'd seen before into a dead shade. For a singular moment, he looked exhausted as his tensed shoulders slumped and that same stringy hair she'd laughed at shrouded his hazy, glass-like gaze, wet droplets mixing in with those salty tears. It only lasted a moment as he lingered above her but that was all she needed to see the mistake she'd made.

Fists that just before held her so close, as if he were afraid she'd fade away, curled tightly into themselves and his mouth twisted into a grim scowl of pure anger, "Onii-chan… I… I'm—"

"Shut up." He told her gruffly, surprising everyone around them. Out of everyone he's ever been with, Rin had never spoken to Gou like that. His body tensed more and more as anger twisted his features into a range of emotions that she'd never seen before. The most prominent one was fear and the second shame. She tried to reach out to him, wishing she'd never did that prank. Wishing that she'd just lied and finished the prank to the very end instead of laughing at him.

"How could you..." His voice was nothing but a scarce murmur but his cold gaze was something that pieced her, "Didn't you hear me? How fucking could you?!" He yelled violently, punching the ground so hard she heard cracks come from the abused hand and felt alarmed. She quickly reached to hold it but he flinched and scampered back as if afraid of her. But, she could see it in his eyes. There was nothing there for her, like dull red pitfalls. Gou couldn't recall a time she felt more useless, but this time she couldn't complain because it was all her fault. She couldn't afford to be startled by his tone, the only thing she could do was apologize but he was already leaving.

Her own eyes watered and she quickly reached out further, grabbing his shirt, "O…Onii-chan, I'm… I'm so—"

"Let go," he tried tugging his arm away lightly but Gou held tighter, not wanting to let it end like this. She didn't want to end this with him looking at her like that. She furiously shook her head as she kept trying to apologize, "Stop, Gou!"

"No, I'm sorry Onii-chan! I'm... I'm—" His arm tore away from her violently, knocking her off-balance. Immediately she was caught by Nagisa, who in turn looked at her brother with a contemptuous gaze she'd never seen on him before. Having three sisters of his own, he couldn't help himself when he saw Matsuoka just fling his sister off of him like trash. What kind of brother knocks her sister over like that? She was obviously weaker and yet he chose to be violent towards her.

"Oi, Matsuoka, apologize," he said but Gou began to shake her head, dusting herself off quickly and coming towards her elder brother.

"Wait, no, I'm fine Nagisa. I'm the one who should apologize," Makoto stepped up in between them, nervous that the boar would try hitting her again. He could understand that he was upset but that was no reason to hit a girl, much less his sister. The abuse of a sibling was something intolerable. Although, even though they were in this situation, there was a part of him that felt kind of happy that this side of Matsuoka was coming out. He now felt little to no need to take pity on him. Why feel sorry for someone who could hit a girl with seemingly no remorse. This was the last straw and they were all seeing the true Matsuoka Rin come out here.

"Kou-san, there's absolutely no reason Matsuoka-san shouldn't apologize to you. No matter how angry you are, hitting a girl is unacceptable," Rei walked over to Matsuoka, seemingly unafraid of the slightly larger male, "You need to apologize to your sister, now. I don't care if she offended you and I don't care if you don't want to. If you're have any respect, you'll comply." He could literally hear the grinding of the other's teeth from here and the redhead whipped around,

"Shut the hell up already! I'm obviously no better than this, leave me the fuck alone!" He attempted to stalk off only to be grabbed by Rei, who was determine he apologize to her, and he lashed out at the window. The durable glass nearly cracked under his powerful hit and Gou saw how his knuckles bled profusely from his first strike against concrete, "I said shut up! What the fuck do you know?! I am sorry! I've been sorry for years and it doesn't change shit!"

Running a hand through his hair, he gripped the bright strands as he continued to tremble. More and more he shook, on the verge of a breakdown and he gripped his arm in a vice-like grip almost like he was covering himself, "Why? Why did you do that? I said I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But... sorry has never undone a mistake for me." He turned his back, his face once more calming into near exhaustion.

"Rin please…" She said quietly, begging, pleading for forgiveness, for the first time wondering just how permanently he's been changed since before. She really... knew nothing about him did she?

"Gou… don't talk to me… for a while. Please," He said in an unnervingly calm voice that even caught Haruka off guard. Haruka only thought,  _Who is this?_  His expression of pure and utter betrayal made something hit his heart with a pang. Ocean blue eyes blinked owlishly while the other dragged his feet from the poolside, leaving his sister with them who wept in his wake. It inevitably left him with an unforgettable empty sensation in his chest that he was unfamiliar with.

He tried to join everyone in their attempts to comfort Gou, but in the end she cancelled practice for tomorrow. She said she needed to be alone and Haruka nodded, respecting her wishes. He was no good at comforting people anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, one of my biggest insecurities about rewriting this fic like this is that I don't portray MakoHaru well. Like their relationship is supposed to be easy right? But I feel I'm not really having them flow as well as Rin and Haru-who in turn have a more passionate relationship. I just... uugghhh, how to write old married couple notp!? If you feel I'm not doing it justice, I'd appreciate some tips. Now excuse me while I research MakoHaru culture and sob. HAPPY ST. PADDY'S DAY BTW!


	3. He pisses me off pt. 1

/An unbearable tightness encircled him, crushingly with both arms pulling around his chest. His chest couldn't expand with the pressure and left him gasping for breath as the image of blue faded into spots of burnt black. Crawling on his skin was the chilling feeling of panic; it wrapped its cold, spider-like legs around his neck. Perhaps it was his own hand, clawing futilely at his weak, burning throat that craved viciously for air. When he tried to breath, an unknown entity with tentacles entered him, slipping into his lungs without permission... but he's felt this before.

He mindlessly disregarded the sickening sensation of skin burying underneath his nails, the flesh underneath seared as exposed to the forceful waves engulfing him. The cold feeling of panic flared when his numbing, grappling fingers came in contact with nothing. He knows the sensation of those clear blue appendages embracing him, building a place for him in the deep ocean below. A space that fits perfectly for him.

He could only idly think, why was he here? It was too cold for swimming, his parents told him. So with reluctance, he left the beauty alone as the rotting leaves descended from their homes on trees. Yet he was underwater, the jacket that had once kept him warm ensnared him, tying his arms behind his back to restrict his movements.

His body thrashed, hurriedly rebelling against the water that filled his swelling lungs and he vaguely remembered flashes of green fabric curling with the shape of the wind. Ah. The memory of cool air biting his cheeks struck him as he was confronted with a despairing girl who looked longingly at her scarf. A scarf that had fallen just beneath the bridge. That's right... he was getting... a scarf.

Helplessly, he opened his eyes to see the sky overcome by rippling waves and his last gasp was drowned by the ocean. His limbs clumsily flailed, too slow to claw his way back to the surface, too frenzied with the inherent panic he grew on a subconscious level. He knew this was how he would die.

It was so cold, his chest felt hot to the point he was overflowing with water, his tears becoming one with the river. He was becoming one with it... Yes, of course this would hurt. But, he couldn't quite escape the feeling that he was returning to someplace he'd always belonged. He was shedding this cumbersome body and going back to somewhere he understood, unburdened by his human needs. Somewhere as he weakly coughed, there was euphoria... and he was happy.

A pinpoint of blue, enveloped in his last vestiges of air, evaporated within his vision and his eyes closed. Acceptance pooled and he felt his body floating on a bed of swaying water, it cradled him as his arms drooped from his stinging throat. The numbing sensation brought a sense of security he had never felt before and he couldn't feel anything... this kind of simplistic confusion was nice. He needn't anything else as he was washed away by his love.../

Clear blue irises were suddenly unveiled as his lids snapped awake, sand from the river's bottom still stinging his eyes and he gasped a breath full of waterless air. He felt disorientated as his body rushed forward, hunching while he choked ironically on the thing he needed most. He halfway expected the tasteless water to eject from his lungs.

Everything was so loud again, unlike before in his dream, and he could clearly hear the panicked scuffling accompanying Makoto's movements. While he didn't focus on it, he could feel the large presensce beside him hovering, just like that day. His ears rung with echoes of Makoto's younger self screaming for him to resurface and tonight he did the same.

"Haru! Haru, what's wrong?" The large hand of his clapped his back to aid him but he shooed him away as the foreigness of breathing died down. Now he was left taking in famished gulps of air as the last remnants of drowning slipped down his cheeks. Quickly he brushed them away, hoping Makoto didn't think he was crying. But, then again, whenever he wished for Makoto to overlook something was right when his eyes were fixed on it. It's what made him so annoying at times, "Haru... did you have a nightmare?"

As his breath calmed, he shook his head and flopped on his back only to become aware of the cold sweat dripping down his back, soaking through his clothes. Black bangs stuck wetly to his drenched forehead and he felt as if he'd just resurfaced from his dream. He wanted to take a bath.

He left the bedroom only to realize that they were in Makoto's house and it wouldn't be like his bath at home--besides it was one o'clock according to the dimmly lit alarm clock on the brunette's bedside. With a sigh, he walked back to bed and sat down, all too aware of the green eyes watching his every movement. Silently questioning him with persistence that he's always hated, no matter how useful it was at times.

This time it was Makoto who left the room and when he came back he was carrying a glass of water, a towel, and a change of clothes. He accepted them quietly, immediately downing the glass of water for his strangely dry throat. Afterwards he stripped to dry himself off, feeling no shame as this was Makoto--the person who's seen him naked just about as many times as his mother. The other teen wasn't even attempting to be subtle about the worried way he looked at him. He asked no questions but his eyes did all the asking for him.

It reminded him of what happened immediately after that incident. He didn't often dream about the time he'd almost drowned in the river. In fact it was remarkable to most how well he took it, returning to the pool immediately after his tremendous fever went down. But when he did, he always remembered Makoto's face when he woke up.

Soaked to the bone and screaming as ambulances wailed around them, the senseless noise was as startling as his dreadful expression. He remembered the way clear tears rained down his face, his runny nose left unchecked in favor of shaking him and staring down at him with those puffy eyes.

Tonight on top of the fact he had no idea what contributed to this dream--it was so sudden after so many years--he hadn't seen Makoto's face in his dream, he was just immersed in the experience of drowning. To him, that part had always been the scariest. The horrified expression was unfamiliar to him, never having seen such pure, unadulterated emotion before especially from someone as tenaciously cheerful as Makoto.

He paused for a moment as he pulled the too-large drawstring pants over his hips. Memories from a just two days ago rushed to the forefront as he vividly recalled Matsuoka. The way his cracked, wobbling voice called out to Gou, how his eyes widened with panic and overflowed with tears... he realized at that time what he was recalling. As the back of his mind itched irritably, he thought he might've seen a scene like this once before. It was Makoto.

Matsuoka's desperate cries were enough to drag those quieted pleas Makoto gave so long ago back to his attention. Back from where he thought he'd buried them because remembering something like that would do nothing except harm both of them.

Perhaps that's why he found it so strange that Matsuoka was capable of such a face. Haru had begun to firmly believe that the redhead was only capable to three expressions: anger, boredom, and that ungodly confusing look Haruka had never deciphered. Yet then, none of those expressions were on his face when gazing down at the still body of his sister. It crumpled and contorted to something bottomless.

It was when Haru saw Makoto so distressed looking upon him that he realized just how much Makoto really cared for him. So seeing the elder Matsuoka able to display such an uncharacteristic quality was certainly surprising. The raven also wasn't sure how comfortable he was with this information because he knew after that the brunette clung even closer to his side as if he were given a second chance at everything again.

However, the raven didn't think the expressions were quite identical. The same panic was there... but there was a certain despair in Matsuoka's eyes that made his expression far more dark. He could barely choke out her name and looked at her like he was looking at a ghost. No, they were not the same at all. But, they were just similar enough to spawn this dream from the depths of his memory.

He also felt there was a slight different, undetectable emotion that made Rin's face different from Makoto's. Yet another emotion he'd waste hours of his life pondering on before giving up.

After dressing, he noticed Makoto changed the sheets that he'd sweated in and he easily slipped under the covers to face the wall. He knew the brunette wanted to ask badly but he refused to give in and make things harder for himself by having to explain why he had the dream to begin with. It wasn't like he'd suddenly become afraid of water or that seeing Gou and Matsuoka like that had traumatized him. If anything, he thought he might be becoming sympathetic towards the redhead. For him to become like that, there must be something he wasn't showing. Some unsaid pretense between him and water.

He wanted to stop himself, to quit his wondering and his speculation. If things were to continue, he thought he'd never return to the way things once were.

Green eyes stared at the slender, unmoving back that was dressed in one of his shirts. He knew the other was ignoring it, stubbornly passing over the nightmarish coughing fit he'd had only a few minutes ago. It was horrifying to see that; those blue eyes widened with shock as he attempted to catch his breath but it was never enough. His body rejected it and he was left winded with tears flooding over.

He detested the guilty squeeze his heart gave when he was faced with such a potential emergency. He hated the powerlessness of it all. The way he could only weakly pat the other on the back and the way he was brushed off afterwards as if it never happened. As if the other hadn't been soaked in his own sweat, as if he didn't see the light, trembling fingertips hastily brushing away the evidence.

It was as if Haru was vehemently not trying to get his help.

Makoto knows that Haru has always been independent. He's always hated the idea of having to depend on others for help, preferring to be "free" without the bonds attached to needing someone. That was the exact reason Makoto had taken such an interest in him despite the fact that they had known each other since they were in diapers. While he was so independent, he was also left alone because of it. No one ever thought to help the boy who's only interest was swimming.

Because he always showed a disinterested expression, most teachers thought he was a hopeless student who had only one talent. If he needed help with math, Haru wouldn't ask because he didn't like math. If he were getting teased about his name, it would stop soon because of his lack of reaction. Makoto had always found it ironic, his independent and lonely existence. While he didn't want to be bothered, Makoto almost felt as if it were necessary to bother the other. At least to make him feel like someone was there.

That's why his throat stung, swelling harshly with the unanswered questions that begged to spill. He wanted to show that restless concern he's been harboring but his mouth felt dry and tasteless, like he'd swallowed glue and this was the aftermath. Being confronted with that cold, indifferent back was completely different than the other's usual brush-offs. This meant he had his walls sealed impenetrably tight because he didn't show him his face. Even Makoto couldn't read something like this.

Pursing his lips, he reached out, clinging to the back of his own shirt with a timid tug. He felt like a child who observed with shock as their parent cried before them, miniscule and insignificant, "Ne... Haru..." There was no response from the silent boy before him. His breathing never changed, it was as if Makoto had never touched him to begin with. He tried not to feel too hurt by this as he knows that's just how he is. He shouldn’t feel hurt because that meant he was doubting the raven and more than anything he didn't want to do that, "Haru..."

There was a pause, harsh and brittle between the time he said the other's name and the time he answered. Many things went through his mind: thoughts of how he could help Haru or endless reassurances to himself that there wasn't something seriously wrong and it was only one of Haru's stoic moments. Louder than all those thoughts however was one: what did Haru want? If he didn't want his help, he shouldn't force it on him so quickly.

His hand gripped tighter and his swelling voice dried. Maybe he just needed time and someone there. If even just that was all he could do, the brunette would let the silence drift delicately over them until the other made the first move.

He settled in, watching that indifferent back until he heard an answer, "Makoto," his low, timbre vibrated through the room surprising him. He stayed silent, hesitant on what to say. Haru hadn't given him much to go off of, but somehow that innate feeling he got hearing his voice told him Haru wanted to talk. Whether that talk was good or bad, he didn't know.

"I'm not asleep," he answered to the other after he paused once more, "What is it?"

There was another lull in the conversation, courtesy of Haru before he asked something so out of the blue even he was shocked, his eyes widening in pure surprise, "You're over your fear... right?"

The reason Makoto was so shocked was because Haru, as someone who detested wasting time on what he deemed to be "unnecessary", had asked him again for the third time about his phobia of water.

The first time had been back when they were in elementary school, back when his fear had been extremely bad and he'd refused to go anywhere near water without Haru with him. He was equally as reluctant to let Haru jump into the pool without him, he knew it showed and eventually Haru got fed up. Funnily enough, he hadn't even asked if he was afraid of water. He asked for how long.

Then when they were at the beach, he asked if he was alright. Makoto was sure he hadn't shown it, having the same cheerful face on as usual yet Haru had managed to see right through him again. When his green gaze lingered in the ocean, he knew there was some lingering trepidation but he was no longer as terrified as before. The fact that Haru had asked about him at all was more than enough support to push him into remaining the strong, understanding captain he was.

But now... there was a wavering quality to Haru's usually steady voice. An uncertainty that wasn't present during all the previous questioning. It was almost like Haru was asking him for reassurance for his own sake.

In that one question, Makoto knew that he'd dreamt that dream again. He'd dreamt of drowning at the pit of a river without even a soul realizing, and it was terrible. But Makoto's cheeks hurt from the smile he desperately tried to hold back. The reason he hadn't wanted him to see his face was because he was embarrassed. Those tears, that coldness... he laughed because Haru sure had a way of showing concern.

"Quit laughing, it's not amusing," he heard the other mumble and Makoto leaned his head into the space between his shoulder blades, trying to stop his quivering shoulders. Haru was just too adorable for words.

"Of course not. You don't have to worry Haru, I haven't been afraid of water for a long time," his warm voice was muffled in the other's back when suddenly the other turned toward him. The raven's eyes were piercing, intent on searching the very wavelengths of his soul and somehow he felt his face irresponsibly heat up. Makoto just couldn't calm down when those eyes looked at him like that.

"Honest?"

Green eyes looked away from those intent blue orbs but he nodded, completely serious, "Because I have you, I don't need to be afraid anymore. Honest."

He felt more than saw Haru nod as he turned back around to face the wall. No more words were exchanged between them but Makoto made sure to move far away from the raven in case he felt how rapidly his heart was beating in his chest. This was bad. So bad.

\----

Matsuoka came to school more withdrawn than before and in essence fitting Haruka's image of himself more… except for the fact he didn't. Haruka liked to think that the other was so cold and withdrawn all this time but he knew that wasn't the case. He felt he was right to think that the redhead beside him was now a stranger. Matsuoka had lost something in his being that made up the false personality he protrayed.

This lost something wasn't insignificant either, like perchance not drinking some juice he usually enjoys; no, it was much more serious than that. He lost something so entirely vital to Haruka's image of him it like looking at an unfinished puzzle hanging and slowly falling apart piece by piece into something he couldn't decipher.

He was also no closer to being free of the curiosity that plagued him and he was left only staring at the other who sat silently in his seat, his face turning downward and his long bangs easily covering his eyes. To look at him now felt more like looking at a husk that the redhead shed and left behind as some imitation.

Somehow, Haruka thought even his eyes weren't the bright red they were before. Once a clear, crystaline ruby color, it greyed into a bland shade of cranberry that resembled brown more than red. The azure-eyed teen watched as their dull depths stared aimlessly into space, focused on nothing.

Matsuoka's words echoed in his mind, his rough and strained voice that screamed at Gou … why would such a prank make Matsuoka react that way? Those screeches of confusion asking what would possess Gou to prank him like that--although truthfully Haruka thought the joke was also in bad taste once executed--refused to leave him. Fading in and out of his attention, there was the everlasting churn of his words and tears mixing into the evolving sewege vat of his mind that he only wanted to dump. But how does one dump thoughts? How does one forget?

Haruka's head spun and he sighed, desiring to take a dip in the pool to ease his confusion. Everything always felt better when he was submerged inside of a cool body of water. He felt almost as if it was comfortingly hugging his entire body, soothing his worries to the core. Even after that dream last night, he actually thought he would prefer drowning than to have to put up with this meaningless waste that was his thoughts. The slippery tentacles were something he accepted, the dried copy that was Matsuoka was something uninvited to begin with. Though with them being in class there was little chance he would be freed from the bother that was Matsuoka Rin.

He couldn't do anything that hour, though Ama-sensei continuously shouted out for him to pay attention and his classmates laughed at seeing how out of it Haruka was. He could only stare at Matsuoka from the corner of his eyes and spite him for blocking his thoughts once again. His thoughts--when they rested from contemplating the redhead's existence-- constantly drew back to his nearly professional stroke that tore through the water. He idly thought the redhead was what his grandmother would call, "a genius". He was like him in that disturbing way and Haruka let himself wonder if the other even knew himself. He had to right? The strength and poise behind his stroke seemed so inbred in him to be able to call it up at a moment's notice, it was like it was a part of his DNA.

Is it a coincidence, another similarity between them? A huff escaped him and he rigidly turned his head away to the pool, slowly but surely entering martyrdom due to an imaginary war in his head.

"Ugh, that Matsuoka! He still pisses me off!" Was the loud introducting lament Nagisa wailed as he sat on the hard concrete roofing. His cheeks puffed out in a pout and though he sported such a goofy look, Rei was able to tell the other was completely serious by two things: the first was how he aggressively bit into his Iwatobi cream roll only to chew it with contemplation for once and the second was how he simply refused to tack on --chan or any actual honorific to the redheaded male's name.

Rei didn't sympathize in the least though with the other's plain boorish behavior. Matsuoka-san at best was an abusive brother with a short temper and at worst a complete ass. He didn't intend to become friendly with anyone who dare believe it was alright to strike a woman, even if the joke she pulled was of poor choice. He should take it with the principles of beauty that also consists of basic manners and just cool off, not fly over the top like that. And the worst part of all this was that Kou-san was still crying over that idiot, "Now, now Nagisa, there's no point in becoming strung out over someone like that. If you didn't hear what he said, he's beyond help."

Nagisa was more verbal with his complaints than Rei-chan, falling on his back an groaning with a mouth full of cream and cinnamon, "Buh, Gou ish shtill cwying ower ih! (But, Gou is still crying over it)," he finished chewing, quickly chasing the bite with milk, naturally strawberry flavored, "He should at least apologize! Who does he think he is to hit a girl and his own sister at that! What a loser, making Gou so sad. Just thinking about it makes me angry."

Nagisa could feel the inherent protectiveness, that came with having three sisters, well inside him, feeling almost like Matsuoka had pushed his own sister down. He wasn't one to get so upset but laying hands on someone was a total act of carelessness and if you should care and protect anyone, it would be your own flesh and blood. Even when his sisters insisted he wear polka dotted dresses and switched his swimsuit out for theirs, he would never dream about hurting them like Matsuoka.

It threw the entire team off when she didn't ogle their muscles blatantly while scolding herself. Or if she didn't battle it out with Nagisa about her name. She looked purely regretful the entire week and most of the times left them to their own devices or sometimes even cried when she thought no one was looking. In essence, it pretty much brought the brother-complex out of the entire team who began to actively dislike the elder Matsuoka for making his sister feel this way.

"Rei's right Nagisa. Now's not the time to be thinking about Gou's brother. We should be wondering how to comfort Gou since she's obviously still upset over this," Makoto's gentle voice formed a canopy over the thinly veiled aggresion Nagisa was displaying. The brunette was well versed in Nagisa's talent of being proactive. If he wanted something done it usually happened, no matter how far fetched. Everyone was already keyed up over the incident even though it had been almost a week since its occurance. With a few well-placed words, Nagisa might be able to stir up the team enough to actually confront the pariah and Makoto knew no one really wanted that.

What they wanted was for Gou to feel better because once she did they would feel no need to even speak the redhead's name. So with a calm smile, he said what everyone needed to hear. To tell the truth though, Makoto felt a strange mixture of satisfaction and guilt.

There was satisfaction that the situation with Matsuoka was working in his favor. He was feeling relieved because now no one actually liked Matsuoka and he didn't feel alone anymore in his instinctive distrust of the teen. He felt relieved because now the trembling insecurity he felt in his heart disappated due to the fact that Haru wouldn't fall for someone like that, someone that they all hated.

It was a fact that Haru only stuck around his close friends and didn't interact with anyone else unless he absolutely had to. So if everyone else despised him there would be no need to worry about their relationship building because the others didn't accept him. Matsuoka wasn't a threat to his budding relationship with Haru at all and that made him ecstatic.

But then... then there was the guilt. He actually felt horrible immediately after the incident a few days ago. The reason being was because he didn't feel... wrong. He didn't feel anything was criminal with the image of the elder Matsuoka panicking over the false sight of his sister drowning. The only thing in his blotted memory of the prank gone awry was a disgusting sensation of frustration. Haru was looking at the teen with those eyes again.

The way his blue eyes widened and unknowingly twinkled in excitement at seeing his skillful stroke pierced him, muting his obligatory words of worry. He could see the other's fascination at his desperate screaming and could see his curiosity at his tears. He just couldn't stop himself from once again feeling the overwhelming sensation of irritation. He simultaneously wished the other would quit crying and that things would ultimately get worse from there on.

Such a sticky, black feeling engulfing him like that... it scared him. He honestly felt a bit shaken from his near violent thoughts toward the other all because Haru turned away from him in just an instant.

The blonde's pinkish-red eyes stared sulkily at him before giving weigh to his fixated, motherly smile. Nagisa huffed and took another bite, "Mou, as always Mako-chan is right. What's really important is if Gou is alright."

Rei nodded as well, a more solemn look on his face than usual. Makoto felt another twinge of guilt. He hadn't meant for this sombre atmosphere to blanket them, he just wanted this to go in a more productive direction. With a nervous laugh, he took a glance at Haru, who was staring blankly forward and of absolutely no help, "U-Um... why don't we have an outing to cheer her up?"

There was a small pause that made him tense slightly in the worry he'd get an immediate refusal from Haru. While they did tend to go out sometimes, it was usually to places of convenience like the swimsuit shop or the grocery store. He knew the other would rather take a day long bath than go somewhere for an outing, although Makoto knew if his friends wanted him to come, there was a high percentage that he'd follow through with some bargaining.

It was confusing since Haru had genuinely expressed concern for him just a few nights ago so he thought he might say yes. But, even with the blank look on his face, this afternoon Makoto could see obvious anger lingering beneath the surface while the other glanced past him toward the pool. He couldn't tell exactly what Haru had become so irritated over but he knew if he was like this the only thing on his mind would be either swimming or a bath.

With this in mind, Makoto began to genuinely fear a decline from his water-centric crush. Makoto wasn't too sure it was his timing was right on this offer.

The sudden silence was broken into shards by a loud whoop, courtesy of Nagisa, "That sounds great! We haven't had any real team bonding time since regionals and it'll be the perfect way to cheer up Gou, two iwatobi-chan's in one go! Rei-chan you want to go too ne?"

Rei scoffed, off-put by how easily Nagisa could speak for both himself and him, "Who said I wanted to go too?"

 

"Aww! But, Rei-chan! It'll be fun! Didn't you say you wanted to be part of the team anyway? That you wanted to swim with us fore--" His innocuous chatter was interrupted as Rei clapped his hands over his mouth. He couldn't believe how dirty he was playing, throwing Rei's words back at him from a few weeks ago when he discovered he actually wanted to swim with everyone.

 

Rei turned puce at him bringing it up but Makoto laughed at Nagisa's manipulation. It seemed like those two were going along with them. He turned to Haru only to see him staring indifferently at his spiced rice that he recieved from his mother. Hmm... he seemed like he was thinking about it but not too much. He actually looked like it had nothing to do with him really, making the green-eyed boy sweatdrop nervously.

 

As he deliberated this detrimental balance, a surprising announcement was made for Haruka to report to the principal's office. The group's conversation halted before unanimously everyone looked to Haruka in curiosity. The same thoughts ran through everyone's head, weighing different scenarios that the raven could've been in that landed him in the principal's office of all places.

Had the raven done something wrong? No, probably not. He never was one to be into causing unnecessary trouble. It required too much effort. So then what could the principal want with him? A worried look passed over Makoto's face while Rei and Nagisa looked at each other in concern. Haruka only sighed at his friends' dramatics and decided to put them out of their misery, "I don't know what I did either."

"Haruka-senpai, that... that doesn't really answer the question..." Rei said with a bit of hesitence as the raven continued to nonchalantly devour his admittedly delicious lunch. There was sadly a smaller portion of mackerel but salt stood out extremely well this lunch and he wouldn't just leave it to go see some strange principal, knowing he hadn't done anything wrong.

Frustratingly, Makoto seemed to know what he'd decided on as he sighed, "Haru, you have to go see the principal, don't just eat mackerel." The raven stared blankly at him, deliberately taking another bite of his simple lunch, "You'll get in trouble, you can't just decide you haven't done anything. Your mackerel will be here when you get back."

"I agree with Makoto-senpai on this Haruka-senpai. As a member of the club, you have to abide by the school's rules. If you don't--" Suddenly Rei's lap was full of a hyperactive blonde as he leaned over to whisper dramatically into the raven's ear.

"You'll be penalized by not being able to swim, or worse you'll be kicked off the team. Without four members, the team will have to disperse and..." even quieter he said to the paling Haru, "they'll drain the pool."

Instantly, yet reluctantly, Haru left his mackerel to rush from the rooftop to the office. He wasn't sure if all of what Nagisa said was right, but there was no way he would chance his amazing pool being drained for anything. If there was something he was sure of though, it was that the others were talking about him behind his back about what he did to land himself in the principal's office.

He quickly arrived at the office and opened the door only to have a streak of red catch his eye. His eyes widened marginally and he turned to see Matsuoka lazily sitting in his seat, his arm slung around the back of his chair and his long legs casually crossed. Dull, red eyes turned to look up at him and he saw a flash of recognition in them before he huffed out a sigh and looked away.

Haruka blinked his own blue eyes and suddenly felt quite curious about why he was called down to the office and the other was there. The redhead hadn't been sitting on the roof this afternoon--a fact he couldn't help be troubled over because now he wondered just where he might've gone and if he was just now choosing to avoid them all completely. He sat down, not as casually as the other, but certainly not attentively either. The principal's tired eyes set on them and he sighed when he looked at Haruka.

Haruka wasn't entirely new to this sort of look from adults. When he was in elementary school in fact, he frequently gained those looks. He didn't entirely know what they meant but Makoto had always told him not to think too deeply about it.

"Nanase-kun, recently… your grades haven't been the best in certain classes," He took out a few tests as proof, showing the 66 he got on his Math test recently and the 13 he'd gotten on his English. He looked at the tests blankly as if to say, 'Yes, I'm aware of this. But, I don't really care either way'. He felt that because of this lack of a reaction, he gained yet another sigh from the older male, "Well, to be frank, because of your poor grades it has been recommended that you get a tutor to improve them. It is your second year and we must get you ready for a good university, these grades just aren't cutting it. This is where Matsuoka-kun comes in."

Matsuoka? Haruka turned to the other, who slumped down in his seat and didn't look at him but at the withering man in front of him that was suddenly beaming. It figures that Matsuoka was probably embarrassed at the way he acted yesterday and didn't really want to make too much eye contact. He'd all but avoided him and the rest of the swim team for most of the day--and vice versa--but that didn't explain why he was all of a sudden able to locate the old man's laugh lines. He wasn't sure if he's ever really seen a superior smile with such genuine pride up close before. And he was smiling at Matsuoka of all people, "Matsuoka...kun?"

 "Yes, because Matsuoka-kun currently holds the top scores in both of those classes we figured it would be best to enlist him to tutor you. He's got great things in store for him so I thought he'd be a good role model for you," Haruka looked at the other in slight surprise. Matsuoka had the top scores? So he was smart under those dirty glares and grunts of dissatisfaction?

Haruka somehow didn't want to believe that he'd skipped over such a monumental fact. He'd just assumed the grumpy redhead didn't care about his grades like he didn't care about most other things. He never participated in class discussions, never asked questions... yet he was the best student? How did that even make any sense? Wait... did that mean he was even better than Rei? The megane wouldn't be too happy with this news.

Haruka was slightly embittered at the thought of having the elder Matsuoka as his tutor. It was ironic enough that he was already having trouble trying not to pay attention to him without adding the damage of spending time together too. He said he wanted to go back to swimming and he promised that he'd lay this mystery to rest, but as soon as there was a semblance of normality in his day things were changed so fast he got whiplash. The catalyst was the ignorant Matsuoka with a personality that changed like the wind. Ever since he got here...

He opened his mouth to refuse the offer, baffled that this was even an idea in the first place. He imagined the other would probably curse this idea to hell too in his own eloquent way, well that was the type of person Haruka thought him to be at least. He didn't seem to be the helpful type… he's more of an annoying, itchy, prickly type really… The principal quickly began talking once more, as if he knew just what he would say, "He's already agreed so there's no need to worry about Matsuoka-kun's consent. He's already agreed. There's no objecting to this Nanase-san, it's either this or you'll be suspended from the swim team."

Haruka's mouth neatly snapped closed and he turned swiftly to the redhead who looked as if all of this were completely normal. Although he still guiltily didn't spare the raven a glance. A dark pressure seemed to rise in Haruka's chest. He recognized this to be irritation at once again getting his character wrong and, then of all things, being stuck with him. Was Matsuoka doing this on purpose? Was he deliberately plaguing his mind for a prank he didn't even know he was a part of? He stared at Matsuoka like he were one of his despised math equations as they were dismissed. When he reluctantly followed him out of the office, the slightly taller redhead turned to the raven and for the first time looked him in the eye with a raised eyebrow.

"So, we should start today since we have a quiz this Friday in Math. So I'm going to come over your house and we're going to shape you up. You heard him, no objections if you don't have anything important to do and since I already have your address because of the principal there's no need to give it to me." He was cut and dry, bossing him around like he was in charge. In his tone there was no room for objection and the redhead even had the gall to nonchalantly check his phone while he was talking to him as if he wasn't being a jerk right then, "I'll come after swim practice ends, so be ready."

Haruka's eyes widened in indignation. Who did this guy think he was?! How could he just one-sidedly schedule an appointment between them for something he didn't even want? He said nothing and Matsuoka apparently took that as a sign of acceptance while he turned and walked down the hallway without another word.

 

Haruka felt his eye twitch and he sighed, walking away to the rooftop. He wouldn't tell the others about this. They already didn't like Matsuoka enough to be infuriated and try to help him in their own goofy way. He could only consider himself lucky that Gou had decided to resume with their scheduled practices again, he really needed a dip in the pool.

 

Later that day, after swim practice, Makoto walked him home and he at best was a little tense. He mentally ran through excuse after excuse on why he had to break their schedule all of a sudden. A quick glance toward Makoto told him all he needed to know about just how eager he was to proceed with their afternoon activities.

The aftermath of Gou's prank also included the rapid depletion of their joined libido as Makoto was far too worried about Gou and how she was faring. Meanwhile he was preoccupied with her boneheaded brother. With these too distractions, they didn't get much done the past two days although that was fine with him. He needed the time to think.

Truthfully he was surprised that Makoto wasn't worried about last night... or well this morning. He was suspiciously quiet about the entire thing now and even eager for them to continue their sex lives in contrast to how he couldn't even bear to let his shirt go earlier. Part of him couldn't help wonder what conclusion he'd drawn about the incident but the rest of him was all too eager to bury the hatchet and let him think what he wants. However, now that would be far more difficult than he anticipated.

Now he hurriedly had to make up some excuse as to why he couldn't all of a sudden enter his house at all. He attempted to sort the more outlandish excuses out first like saying his bathtub would possess him or something. But the alternative realistic ones were far and few in between--there wasn't much Makoto hadn't seen and even less of what Haruka would hide--that ruled out everything from his parents to the condoms expiring. While Haruka didn't care about what the Matsuoka thought about him, he thought it would be far more troublesome if Makoto even caught the sight of short, red hair anywhere near him. With the whole group against him, things would get far too sticky too fast and the raven thought things were already far too messy for his tastes.

They reached the last stair to his door and Haruka cursed what a half-assed liar he'd been all his life as he watched Makoto reach for the doorknob. If he managed to get in it would be absolutely horrid attempting to get him out, he had to say it now. A bead of sweat slid leisurely down his dewed temple and his brow furrowed with concentration... his mind went blank. Fuck.

"Haru, what's the matter? You've been looking pale for a while now…” he stared at him and he couldn’t feel any ideas coming any time soon. All the changing ripples in his life made it difficult to see clearly and he didn't want more of a headache than he already had. Self-preservation had to come before anything else at this point.

He told the brunette something about wanting to bathe alone for today and with a blur of persuading kisses, he managed to ward the other off his scent. With a sigh, he walked up the stairs, stripping carelessly to get into the running bath. Despite everything, he thoroughly enjoyed soaking for the third time today, though he was slightly dreading when the other would come and tutor him. That was the power of water; even in the most unpleasant times, it was consoling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys. It's been a while, over a year now? I'm so sorry for leaving you guys hanging so I thought you know what? I'll just keep going! That's a proper way to atone right? Yeah but, I really did miss this story and I was happy with where it was going. Expect part 2 in two weeks okay? I've still got a lot of material left! Thanks to everyone who's stuck with me this far. I hope you will read this chapter too.


End file.
